Q: Where are the concerns for Illinois basketball heading into the week?

A: Inside. The Illini didn't make a strong impression in the front court against two power conferences foes during the trip to Madison Square Garden. Two pushover wins against Yale and Western Michigan didn't do anything to prove a change has been made. It might have hinted something else.

While forward Mike Davis did a good job on Western Michigan's Flenard Whitfield -- holding the Broncos leading scorer to two points and no rebounds after he entered with averages of 17 and six -- center Mike Tisdale had trouble with slow-footed Western Michigan freshman center Matt Stainbrook, who scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting.

Illinois may have to go big against North Carolina's size -- 6-8 Harrison Barnes, 6-10 John Henson and 7-0 Tyler Zeller. Tisdale and Zeller roomed together during the USA Basketball select team camp last summer.

Even though Gonzaga doesn't have the guards to matchup with Illinois, the Bulldogs bring tattooed 7-foot, 260-pound tough guy Robert Sacre when the teams meet in Seattle Saturday.

Q: Who should be favored in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge?

A: Let's go with the Big Ten, the league that touted itself as the best in the country.

After Minnesota starts the series by hosting Virginia, Ohio State and Purdue play key road games. Another pivotal matchup is Illinois-North Carolina, the rematch of the 2005 national championship game. Some of the luster is gone after early Tar Heels losses to Minnesota and Vanderbilt. The Challenge should be decided before the Michigan State-Duke game.

If not, then it's bad news for the Big Ten.

Q: What happened to the pecking order among Big Ten bowl teams?

A: The loss by Iowa at Minnesota Saturday left some doubt in the Big Ten bowl pecking order, and the Illini entered the conversation concerning the Gator Bowl, where coach Ron Zook could be matched with Florida, his former employer. The TV producers like that kind of hook.

Among the bottom five Big Ten bowl teams -- Illinois, Iowa Michigan, Northwestern and Penn State -- Northwestern appears to be the last pick. Penn State legend Joe Paterno is the biggest draw. In Michigan, they're asking about coach Rich Rodriguez's future, and Iowa is riding a three-game losing streak.

If Illinois (6-5 overall, 4-4 in the Big Ten) wins at Fresno State (7-4, 5-3 in the WAC) Friday (9:15 p.m., ESPN), the Illini would finish with an identical record with Iowa. A Florida bowl is much more desirable for Illinois, which recruits the state hard and works Jacksonville, Fla., behind former prep coach Dan Disch.